Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Benito Owusu-Bio, inaugurated the Steering Committee for the Lands Sector Multi-Stakeholder Platform (LSMSP) on July 5, 2023.
The establishment of this committee is a result of the recommendations made at the National Lands Conference held in December of the previous year.
The LSMSP aims to bring together various stakeholders, including both state and non-state actors, involved in the land and natural resource sector. Through participatory and inclusive processes, the platform will monitor the implementation of the conference recommendations and ensure coordination in land and natural resource planning, management, and usage.
The framework of the LSMSP comprises a Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups, a Secretariat housed in the Ministry, and a Coordinating Team.
The Coordinating Team will handle the technical and organizational aspects of setting up and operationalizing the LSMSP in Ghana.
Deputy Minister Owusu-Bio outlined four desired outcomes of the committee's work. Firstly, they aim to have an informed citizenry actively participating in land governance and management. Secondly, they seek to improve land tenure systems to provide citizens with secure and predictable access to land.
Thirdly, the committee aims to promote effective coordination among stakeholders to ensure sustainable and equitable management of land and natural resources. Finally, they hope to provide feedback to policymakers to enhance land governance, management, and administration in the country.
To achieve these outcomes, 32 stakeholder institutions have been identified as members of the LSMSP. These institutions include state agencies, traditional authorities, private sector actors, civil society organizations, development partners, media, academia, professional bodies, and community-based organizations. Representatives from these institutions will convene periodically to review progress and address the implementation of recommendations from the National Land Conference 2022, the Land Act of 2020, and other relevant laws.
The Steering Committee's responsibilities include providing policy directions, engaging in high-level advocacy, resolving disputes, approving annual reports and reports from thematic working groups, and approving the platform's annual work plans and budget. They are also tasked with any other function that enhances the work of the LSMSP.
Deputy Minister Owusu-Bio acknowledged the magnitude of the committee's task but expressed confidence in the capabilities of the assembled members. Mr. Maxwell Adu-Nsarfoa, the Chairman of the Coordinating Committee and Technical Director for Lands at the Ministry, thanked the committee members for accepting their roles and emphasized the importance of ensuring a peaceful and efficient implementation of the conference recommendations. He appealed to the Steering Committee to provide necessary guidance to the Coordinating Committee in achieving this goal.